


Faces

by TheLittleImp



Category: Batman: The Animated Series, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: FBI Investigation, Family, Kidnapping, Parental Fear, Stress, Survival, brothers in arms, crazy ex, slight crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-21 11:38:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14914688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittleImp/pseuds/TheLittleImp
Summary: Gotham has yet another crisis on its hands. There has been a spree of seemingly random kidnappings with no clear motive and Wally and Dick get caught up in it.





	1. Chapter 1

Faces

David Shelton sat at his desk, finishing up some paperwork for the case he and his team had just solved. There had been a kidnapping and the FBI had been called in. Thankfully it had ended well. A couple had been getting a divorce, and there had been an issue over custody of their four year old daughter. The father's sister had taken the little girl hoping it would make the mother seem unfit to care for her. The sister was on her way to jail to await trial, and the parents had their little girl back safe and sound. If only all of David's cases could end like that.

David was thirty-seven years old. He had short brown hair and brown eyes. He was a good deal taller than most of his coworkers and friends. He'd been with the FBI for about fifteen years now. He hadn't planned on being a government agent, but life rarely goes as planned. He knew he was good at his job. One had to be in this line of work. Peoples' lives depended on him and his team being able to do their job. It wasn't pretty work, but he liked to believe they were making a difference. When he saw someone come home to a worried family and to see that fear fade away, it made it all worth it.

David's team was like a family to him. There was Amy Peele. She was a mothering type who was very good at reading people. She was amazing with a hand gun and a rifle. There was Henry Burnett. He worked with computers. Agents with his skills were in high demand. The rate of internet crimes had gone up drastically in the last ten years. There was also Brian Stewart. He oversaw the tactical team and was always the first to go into a dangerous situation. Lastly was Kate Helm. She was the newest and youngest person on their team. She would interview family members and friends of victims. David knew she was capable of field work, but with her lack of experience, he didn't want to put her in a situation she wasn't ready for.

Amy stepped halfway into his office. "We've got a case," she said shortly. "From the sound of it, it's a weird one."

A while later David and his team walked into Gotham City's Major Crime Unit. The place was a mad house. Officers were guiding family members to interview rooms. Detectives were talking to witnesses and somehow a reporter had gotten in the station and was currently being dragged out despite loud protests. A man with a mop of messy black hair walked up to them. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he was holding a large cup of coffee in one hand.

"You with the FBI?" the man asked. His voice sounded tired and a little annoyed when he saw the reporter. How had that happened?

David nodded. "Agent David Shelton," he said, offering a hand to the other man.

"Detective Harvey Bullock," the man said, shaking the agent's hand. "Glad you're here. We've got a real mess on our hands. The Commissioner will want to see you."

Bullock led them to Commissioner James Gordon's office. Gordon was a slim man. Not very imposing with his thin rimmed glasses and red hair and mustache, but David knew what Gordon dealt with and his extensive war record. Gotham was one of the worst cities in the country. It had been named 'The Scariest Place to Live' for the past eight years. Gordon was sitting at his desk on the phone.

"Barbara, I want you to stay home. – I don't care if you and Dick planned to hang out. I said something. You're not leaving the house. – I have to go, honey. – I love you too. Bye," the Commissioner said and quickly hung up. "Sorry about that. Agent David Shelton?"

"Please call me Dave. I understand there've been four kidnappings in the last twelve hours," David said.

The Commissioner nodded. "All four of the victims were found unharmed on the outskirts of the city." He wasn't going to have his daughter running around the city while this was going on. Barbara was used to a heads up when it came to what crimes were being committed in Gotham.

"Do the victims have anything in common?" Amy asked.

"No. Tony Samuel, the first victim is seventeen. He goes to Gotham North High School and doesn't have any criminal records. He was taken from Simon Trent's gym on Twenty-third and Main. Paula Smith was the second victim. She's thirty and works at the Gotham Library, has two kids and a good relationship with her husband. She was taken from her place of work just as she was leaving. Brad Claymore, third victim. He's twenty-two and works at a café on Main Street. He was abducted as he was closing the shop. The last one is Bette Kane. She's sixteen and goes to Gotham Academy. She stayed late at school and was taken just as she left the grounds.

We've ruled out ransom, revenge, or any other motive. From what the victims have told us, the kidnappers tactics with each new abduction," Gordon explained.

"So, there's more than one kidnapper," Henry said.

"A man and a woman. They keep changing cars, and none of the victims saw their faces."

"We'd like to talk to Samuel, Smith, Claymore, and Kane," David said, taking command of the situation. They had to work fast.

"Of course," Gordon said. He got to his feet and showed David and his team to four different interview rooms. After speaking with the victims, the FBI agents met back in a conference room to discuss what they had found out. David learned that whoever these people were, they didn't seem to want to hurt any of the victims. Their methods of abducting people changed, but their pattern of behavior after that remained mostly the same.

The suspects would catch the victims, almost at random it seemed, tie them up and put them in the getaway car. The kidnappers would assure the victims they wouldn't be harmed. They would drive for anywhere from twenty to forty minutes while the female suspect would check her watch and comment about what they should have done differently. Then they would drive out of the city, drop the victims off in a field, and leave.

"Are the suspects looking for an adrenaline rush, or is there a motive?" Kate asked.

"It's not adrenaline. This doesn't seem to be a game to them," Amy told her thoughtfully.

"It's practice," David said.

"The people don't seem to matter to them, so maybe the locations could be a factor," Brian suggested. "The person they're really after could go to these places on a regular basis."

"That's a good start," David said. "The gym, the café, the library are too public to narrow down who they're trying to get, so we'll start at Gotham Academy. It's an expensive school, that means high risk targets. We could be looking at ransom after all."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not being so late. I have been traveling. I hope you enjoy. :)

Dick walked out of school to find two teachers by the gate watching the kids. Bette Kane had been abducted yards away from the gate, and they didn't want any repeat kidnappings. There were also three FBI agents there. Everyone had to answer a list of questions before they were allowed to leave the academy's grounds. There was a pretty long line by the time Dick got out of the building. Artemis was in front of him, and Barbara was behind.

"Hey, Arty, you hear anything about Bette?" Dick asked. He was surprised Bruce had let him come to school with everything that was going on in the city. He had missed a lot over the fall and winter semester as it was.

"I texted her this morning. She says she's fine, and she'll be back soon," Artemis answered shortly. She had been told that Dick was Robin, but they tried not to talk to each other too much. They were casual friends and that was it. They could not afford suspicious eyes looking at them. Artemis answered the agents' questions and quickly left.

"Name please," a lady with very short blond hair asked. There was a badge clipped to her suit jacket that said, 'Agent Amy Peele'.

"Richard John Grayson-Wayne," Dick answered. He still wasn't used to adding his guardian's last name onto his own.

"How long have you attended school here?"

"Four years." He didn't much care for this Q and A, but anything to help the FBI catch these criminals.

"Do you go to the Ghost's Gym?"

"Yes," Dick said. He used the gym at the Manor, but it was fun to hang out with other acrobats once in a while.

"Do you use Gotham Library on Third Street?" As Agent Peele asked her questions she wrote down Dick's answers on a small notepad.

"Yes." Half the people in the city used that library.

"And do you go to the Lucky Cat Café?" The way she asked it made it sound like her last question. He hoped it was.

"Yes. I'm friends with the owner and her nephews," Robin said. Speaking with any member of law enforcement made him nervous when he didn't have his mask on. He had too many secrets and too much to lose.

"Thank you. Next," Peele asked looking past Dick to Barbara.

Dick quickly left. Roy and Wally were picking him up, and they were all going to The Ghost's Gym. Roy wouldn't be able to stay long. He had to head back to Star City that day, but Wally and Dick were going to see a movie, and then go to the Cave to hang out with the Team.

At that moment Roy's red convertible pulled up outside of the school grounds.

"Come on," Roy said, waving him over.

Dick jumped into the back seat. Wally was in the front passenger seat, messing with the radio.

"What's going on?" Kid Flash asked, when he saw the agents around the school.

"One of the juniors, Bette Kane was kidnapped yesterday after school," Dick answered. He saw both of the other superheroes cringe. "They let her go, and she's fine," he added hastily. "There was also a kidnapping at The Ghost's Gym. That's why I wanted to go there today." He had his eyes peeled for clues. He doubted they would find anything, but it was a good idea to look around at least.

They talked over the music while Roy drove to the gym. It was on the other side of the city, and it took some time to get there. When they got to the gym there were FBI agents there too, and there were more people at the gym for that time of day. Dick went into the locker room to change out of his school uniform. He hated the dress code at the academy.

"Sometimes I think Star is messed up, but it's really not that bad compared to Gotham," Wally said flatly.

"You're one to talk. What about Central?" Roy said. There weren't a whole lot of crazies in Star. He didn't like the idea of dealing with insane people like the Joker or the Trickster. Gang wars were just fine with him.

Before Wally could answer Dick came back in his white and blue sleeveless shirt and black pants. Robin had looked through Tony's locker and hadn't found anything suspicious or out of place. He and Roy dusted chalk on their hands before climbing up the trapeze equipment. Normally they would have gone out to Wayne Manor, but Roy had a flight to catch, and it was a forty-five minute drive out of the city, if one was going the speed limit which Speedy rarely did.

The gym owner, Simon Trent, who'd been talking to the FBI agents came over. "Grayson, put the net up," Trent called up to Robin and Speedy. Both were already on the platform prepared to take off.

"But Simon," Dick begged. There was no way he or Roy would fall.

"I don't want to hear it, Richard. The net goes up, or you come down," Trent ordered. He used to be an actor and stunt man. After he'd retired from that, he'd opened his own gym.

Wally offered to set up the net so the two other heroes wouldn't have to climb down. He knew it hurt Dick's pride as a trapeze artist to use a net, but he for one would rather have the net up than see his best friends fall. That imaged drifted through his head, and he pushed it down quickly. He had seen enough bodies to know what that would look like, and he didn't want to think about it.

Once the net was up Roy swung out and caught the other bar. The first bar sailed back to Dick, who grabbed it and swung out too. Roy had locked his knee over the bar and was swinging back, his arms reaching out to catch his little brother. Dick let go of his bar and gracefully performed a triple aerial somersault. Simon, Wally, the two agents and practically everyone in the building watched in silent admiration. Dick was the only person alive who could do that trick on the trapeze. Speedy and Robin went sailing back toward the center of the trapeze. As the bar reached its highest point Roy half threw Dick into the air. Robin did a double spin midair and grabbed the first bar. The two heroes performed for a while longer, pulling off some of the most advanced stunts they could, until suddenly Roy let Dick's hands slip out of his own. A few people gasped and Wally saw the FBI agents tense and step forward as if they would catch him. Dick landed in the net, laughing. He loved the feeling of the air as he fell through it. The net was like a trampoline and made for a soft landing.

Roy let go of the bar and landed a few feet away from Dick. He looked at his watch. "I have to go, or I'll miss my flight," he said, jumping to the padded floor.

"Thanks for coming. Wally's too scared to get on the trapeze," Dick said. He back-flipped off the net, landing next to Kid Flash and Speedy.

"Who wouldn't be? Do you realize how mad Bruce would be if I dropped you?" Wally said.

"Excuse me. I'm Agent David Shelton, and this is Agent Kate Helm with the FBI. We'd like to ask you three some questions," the agent said, shortly.

"Sure," Roy said, leaning against the long pole that held up the trapeze. Four kidnappings in less than twenty-four hours by the same people was unheard of.

"Your names?" Helm asked. They each answered.

"Have you been here before?" David asked. He knew Richard had. Trent and the teenager had spoken as friends.

"I come here once or twice a week," Dick told them. It was usually whenever Bruce had a meeting that ran late. His guardian would pick him up from there instead of the school.

"We've been here three or four times," Roy said, answering for Kid Flash and himself.

The questions continued. Most of them were the same as the ones Robin had been asked before. The agents wrote everything down and left the gym soon after followed by Speedy.

Dick went to change into a t-shirt and jeans. He kept some clothes in his gym locker, so he didn't have to walk around in his school uniform. It made him feel stuck up, and that was how people saw him when they noticed the Gotham Academy's logo.

He and Wally walked out of the gym. Suddenly a light gray SUV pulled up in front of them. The passenger window was rolled down and a woman wearing a white doll face mask pointed a gun at them.

"Get in!" she ordered. She was clearly trying to disguise her voice.

Robin rapidly went through his and Kid Flash's options. If they ran she could shoot at least one of them before they got away or the driver could mow them down. IF they were able to get back inside the gym she could follow them into the building and start shooting. The last option was for them to do what she said.

Dick glanced over at Wally. Before he could say anything, the woman opened her door and stepped out. She opened the back-passenger door.

"I said 'get in'!" she snapped, motioning with her gun for them to get in the car.

Dick stepped forward and climbed into the SUV. Wally was right behind him. The seats had been folded down so they were sitting on the floor. Robin wasn't scared. He shut down any normal responses to this situation. He had to focus on his and KF's survival.

"Keep your heads down," 'Doll' growled. The black soulless holes where the eyes were looked like those of a doll's so that was what Robin decided to call her.

Dick heard the doors lock, and the car was driven away from the gym. The person driving was a man, with the same type of mask on. He was big, every pound of him was muscle and judging by his submissive body language, he was not the one in charge.

Robin had read the case file last night, so he knew how this was going to go. They would drive around the city for a while, then the kidnappers would drop them off in a field at which point he and Wally would walk back to Gotham.

"I thought you just wanted the one kid," Muscles said shortly.

"It doesn't matter," Doll said. "I just need him to get his attention."

Wally looked over at Dick, silently asking 'What was going on?' and 'Who was this person Doll wanted to pay attention to her?' Dick just shook his head. He didn't know what they were talking about. This clearly was different from the four previous abductions, which left Robin in the dark as to what these people wanted. It was safe to assume this was about Dick, seeing as Wally wasn't from Gotham and only a few people even knew he was there.

"Help me get them inside, then ditch the car," Doll directed. She turned around in her seat, and gave Wally some zip ties. "Put these on him."

Wally quickly made a pair of cuffs with the ties. He looked at Dick for a moment. How could he do this? Robin was a little brother to him. They'd fought together; they had nearly died together from the time they'd first met. The ties would cut into Dick's wrists and hurt him badly.

Robin gave a slight nod. Wally didn't have a choice. Anything they did to upset these people could get them killed. Kid Flash tightened the zip ties around Dick's wrist. Doll was holding a gun on them the whole time. She was watching him closely so he couldn't leave Dick any room to slip free.

"Now blindfold him," she ordered, handing Wally a piece of cloth. He did as he was told. Doll tied Wally and blindfolded him.

They drove for a while longer before Dick heard his and Wally's abductors get out of the SUV. Seconds later they were pulled out. It was cool and musty, and there was a slight echo. They were in an alley, which didn't exactly narrow down where they were.

Robin and KF were taken into a building. It smelled of alcohol and cigarette smoke. This didn't really narrow down their location either, but it was something to note. They were guided down a stuffy hall, then into a room. Dick heard one of them turning the combination to a safe. His stomach twisted into a knot. If they were locked in a safe no one would be able to hear them, and if they were left in there too long they could easily suffocate.

Dick started to kick and fight as he and Wally were dragged inside. He heard Kid Flash fighting as well, but as everything when it came to their public identities their actions must be only partial. They were dragged into the safe and their blindfolds were taken off. Dick had been right about the place they were to be locked in. The large safe was empty other than a metal bar at the back wall that had been screwed horizontally into either side of the safe. Doll and Muscles made the two of them kneel with their backs to the wall. Their hands were tied to the bar. It was up high enough that their hands were at arm's length over their heads. That was going to get old very fast. Doll and Muscles left, shutting the door behind them. Dick and Wally pulled at the zip ties, but it did nothing to help them. Robin decided to chance taking the gag off. He slowly pulled himself up so he could untie the piece of cloth. Wally's head jerked up to see what Dick was doing. He quickly did the same. Both of them were free of their gags in a few seconds.

"Any theories?" Wally asked after a period of silence had passed.

"A few. One: This is a ransom motivated kidnapping. Two: This is personal. Three: They're crazy," Dick said, flippantly. He didn't much feel like going into the psychology of it all. None of those possibilities had a very happy ending for them.

"I think they're crazy no matter what their motivation is," Wally answered. He didn't see a way out of this that didn't involve their secrets being exposed.

"Most likely," Dick said. They couldn't be stable which made them even more dangerous. "Doll is doing this to get someone's attention. So, I'm guessing Muscles isn't doing this because he's in love with her. He's either being paid or they're family. I'd say family, brother or cousin maybe. They didn't seem to want to hurt us. More like they need us, but they don't want to deal with us. A means to an end."

"Not very encouraging," Wally said. "Where do you think we're at?" KF knew Robin had the whole city memorized. The same was true for him when it came to Central. Running around a city for years tended to give one a clear picture of the layout, especially when hunting down criminals.

"I smelled alcohol and smoke. Add that with what part of the city I think we're in, and that would be a bar, but there aren't many bars with walk-in safes in the back office." Dick thought for a moment. "A casino."

"Which tells us what about Doll and Muscles?" Wally asked. He was used to working at crime scenes, and he could follow a lead with no problem, but he wasn't used to being on the other end of a crime, nor was he used to dissecting the mind of a criminal. That was Robin's area, plus he liked hearing how Dick figured out a suspect's next move.

"She works here, owns the place or she and Muscles are on very good terms with the owner, who wouldn't care about having kidnapped children in their building. In that case they're probably involved in criminal activity as well," Dick said. He didn't like thinking about the 'ifs', but they had to be dealt with. They had to keep their heads clear and in the game.

"Since when do you call yourself a child?" Wally asked. Robin was proud and hated people to see him as weak or anything less than a superhero.

"Since these people have to see us as scared kids. If they feel sorry for us, and if they can sympathize with our fears, there'll be less of a chance they'll kill us for no reason. We haven't seen their faces after all, so they can let us live at this point." They were both quiet for a few minutes, each thinking over what lay ahead and neither much liking it.

"Aren't most kidnappings done by someone the victim knows?" Wally asked. He was sure he'd heard that somewhere.

Dick nodded. "Yeah. Ninety-five point six percent of people abducted are taken by someone they've met at some point in time. The odds are pretty high that one of us knows these people, and add that with the fact Doll disguised her voice, and I'd say it's a sure thing."

"So how many crazy doll-mask wearing kidnappers do you know?" KF asked, sarcastically. "Because I've met a grand total of zero in Central."

"Well, there's the Doll Maker, but he's in Arkham. Plus, if this was his plan we'd already be cut up in little pieces," Dick told him. He hadn't met the Doll Maker as Richard, but he was trying to think of any connections to the odd masks.

"I guess we're doing pretty good considering that," Wally said, looking at the zip ties.

"Yeah, but personally I'd much rather be at the theater," Dick smiled.

"Crap, I bet we've missed the previews," Wally said, jokingly. He had no idea why they were both smiling. Maybe it was just that they'd both figured out it was easier to deal with stuff if they didn't act afraid. Besides what good would it do to freak out? It wouldn't get them out of there, nor would it help anyone find them. Hopefully that second one happened soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Bruce sat in the Major Crimes station, watching the clock slowly tick away. Each was a second Dick was in danger, each a second he couldn't get back. It had been hours since a shop owner next door to the gym had checked his security cameras and found footage of Dick and Wally being taken.

The FBI had said it was the same people responsible for the spree of kidnappings over the last day. So why hadn't they been found yet? Batman had read the file; he knew what was supposed to happen. He had planned to go out looking for the criminals that night. He wanted to get out of there and go find Dick, but the FBI wouldn't let him leave for fear he'd do something rash. They kept asking questions that did nothing to get his son home. Bruce almost just walked out, but then suspicion could fall on him, and he didn't need the FBI wasting precious time that Dick and Wally didn't have. Agent David Shelton walked into the small waiting room. Bruce was on his feet before the other man could speak.

"Have you heard anything?" Bruce demanded.

"Not yet. Are you aware of the recent abductions?" Shelton asked.

Bruce nodded. "Yes, and Dick and Wally were taken by the same people. We've been over that." He wished Barry and Iris would get there already.

"We believe either Richard or Wallace was the real target and the other were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Shelton explained.

"Ransom?" Bruce asked. He would do anything for his son. He didn't care what it cost him.

"We don't think so. Is there anyone you can think of who would want to hurt you by taking Richard?" David asked. Wayne was famous and that always attracted the crazy and delusional. This could be someone who saw themselves as part of Wayne's circle and wanted the attention they thought they deserved. If that was the case Richard's and Wallace's lives would be considered important, and the suspects would make sure they were safe. Hopefully they were still alive. Amateur kidnappers made mistakes and could easily kill the boys without meaning to. There were a thousand possibilities, but David only needed the one where everyone came home alive. That was his goal.

"I'm always getting threats, but there hasn't been anything that stood out recently and none directed at Dick," Bruce explained. He saved all the hate mail he received, and if any of it ever struck him as dangerous he'd turn it over to the police or investigate it himself. A year ago, he'd gotten a letter from a disgruntled employee who'd said they'd kill his ward. The same man wrote similar letters to almost everyone he encountered so it wasn't beneath the Dark Knight's notice. Batman had acted swiftly. The person had gone to the hospital with at least forty broken bones and a serious fear of writing letters and bats.

"Okay. Have you or Dick met anyone lately that either one of you didn't like or who seemed odd?" David asked. He'd seen the time stamp on the security tape. He and Kate had left the gym just minutes before. If they'd only stayed a little longer they could have prevented this. That was his fault, and if those two boys died he'd never forgive himself.

"We had a dinner party last week, and Dick mentioned that Lex Luther and his bodyguard were 'infiortor'," Bruce told him. Dick had been terrified of Zucco, but the man had died two years ago in prison.

"Infiortor?" David asked.

"Creepy. Dick uses his first language when he's upset or feels strongly about something." Bruce thought for a moment. "I brought a date to the Manor to meet Dick. I left the room and overheard her call him 'Gypsy circus trash' to his face. I pretty much kicked her out after that, and told her I never wanted to see her again, but that was months ago and the last time I heard from her was when she called to apologize. She wanted to go out again. I thanked her, but told her I couldn't date someone who talked that way to my son. She got mad and hung up."

"What's her name?" David questioned. This could be nothing, but it might be a lead. Richard had gotten in this woman's way of getting what she wanted, and if she had issues or was unstable that could be a dangerous place to be.

"Paige Monroe. She's a model and actress and she owns a few casinos in Gotham," Bruce said. "We only went on two dates, and I doubt she would do something like this."

"Where did you go? What did you talk about? And how did you meet?' David asked. If Paige wasn't a suspect then it was best to move on to someone else.

"Some mutual friends set us up on a blind date. We went to the Starview Restaurant. We had a nice time. We talked about our work and businesses. I had to leave before we finished eating. Dick was with some friends, and he started having a panic attack. Paige seemed to understand why I had to go. The next time we saw each other was when I asked her to the Manor to meet Dick," Bruce answered. He had been furious at that woman for what she had said to his son. He didn't much care what people said about him, but someone bothered his child and it took all of his self-control not to deck them.

David was a little surprised. "This is off topic, but how old are you?"

"Twenty-eight. Why?" Bruce asked. He didn't see why that mattered.

"It's just you seem a bit young to be dealing with a child who has emotional issues," David said, carefully. He meant no disrespect, just most people who lived Wayne's life style didn't want to be bothered with their own children let alone someone else's.

"I have plenty of experience dealing with my own emotional issues. Children like Dick get lost in the system too often," Bruce said seriously. That was one of the reasons he and Dick were so close. They understood each other's pain and fears. Bruce couldn't lose his family again. He knew what he could handle, and Richard not being in his live would push him over the edge.

Suddenly the door opened, and Iris and Barry rushed in. Panic was written on their faces.

"Haveyouheardanything?" Barry asked. His words ran together so bad he was almost illegible.

"No," Bruce said shortly.

David turned to the frantic couple. He introduced himself. "Are you Wallace's guardians?"

"Yes. I'm Iris Allen, and this is my husband, Barry," Iris answered. Her voice was trembling.

"I've been speaking to Mr. Wayne about people who might have done this. Can either of you think of anyone who would take Wallace?" David asked. He couldn't help but wonder how Wallace West, a kid from Central City, whose mom had left him and whose dad was in prison for murder, met Richard Grayson, the ward of one of the richest men in the world.

The couple sat down on the couch. Collapsed would be a more accurate description. They were both pale and looked genuinely fearful.

"I'm a CSI, and I've helped get a lot of dangerous people convicted, but my name doesn't usually come up in the cases I work," Barry said. Was this because of him? He didn't think so, but it was something that had to be taken into consideration.

"I'm a reporter. I've never had a problem with anyone at the station, or when I've gone out on an assignment," Iris said. She'd gone numb. Wally had to be okay. She needed her nephew back.

"I understand that Wallace's father is in prison," David said. He knew this was going to be unpleasant to bring up, but at the moment that didn't matter.

"Yes. My brother was put in prison five years ago for murder," Iris said.

"And Wallace testified at his trial?" David continued. He couldn't imagine being in that situation. It was Wallace's testimony that put his father away.

"Please don't waste time even considering Rudolph," Barry said. "All of the people involved with the murder are in prison, and Wally has very limited contact with his father. The last time they spoke was over a month ago, and Wally knows better than to tell Rudolph anything about his personal life that can hurt him."

David nodded. He was still going to have Henry look into all of Rudolph West's connections. "Has Wally mentioned anything that concerned you?" David asked. He was almost sure Richard was the target, but he needed something more to go on than just a hunch.

"No. Everything has been fine. He was so excited to be able to spend the weekend with Dick," Iris said, tearing up as she spoke. "They've been close since there were young. Wally has always called Dick his little brother."

David nodded sympathetically. Everyone handled things like this so differently, if 'handled' was even the right word. For some people, they just needed to talk. Mrs. Allen seemed to be that type of person, which could be very helpful.

"What had they planned on doing?"

"After Roy left they were going to see a movie, hang out with some friends, and then I was going to pick them up. Dick has a new video game they wanted to play," Bruce answered. Had he even hugged Dick before he left for the office that morning? He thought he had.

"Did they put up that they were hanging out on any form of social media?" David asked. The internet had opened up a whole other world of problems for law enforcement. It did make finding people a lot easier though, but everyone seemed to think they had to post about every detail of their lives. David could get on Facebook or Twitter and find out more about some random person than he could by talking to them. He was sure most people didn't stop and think about what they were sharing with the world, otherwise they might not be so public with their personal lives.

"No, of course not," Iris told him.

"Dick isn't allowed to discuss anything personal on the internet. He doesn't even have a Twitter account," Bruce said. There was no way he'd ever let Robin do that. It wasn't safe nor was it needed. Alfred had put his foot down on the subject of social media and when Alfred's foot was down it was immovable.

"Wally has a Facebook account, but he's only friends with people he knows," Barry add. "He never posts about where he'll be at any given time."

David made a note to look into that, too. "Does either Richard or Wallace have any life threatening medical condition?" If the kids did Wayne and the Allens needed to call a press conference. Hopefully that would get word to the kidnappers so they would know what to do if a medical condition was threatening the boys' lives.

"Wally has hypoglycemia," Barry said. That was how he and his nephew explained their super metabolism. The symptoms for both were practically the same; shakiness, paleness, lightheaded, sleepiness and confusion.

"Is he diabetic?" David asked. Diabetes and hypoglycemia usually went hand in hand.

"No, he has Non-Diabetic Hypoglycemia or Reactive Hypoglycemia. Wally needs to eat about every three hours in between meals. If it's an emergency he needs to eat or drink fifteen grams of carbohydrates. Juice or candy will work," Iris said.

David glanced at his watch. The kids had been taken almost four hours ago. Hopefully Wallace had eaten shortly before he was abducted. Shelton turned to Bruce. "You mentioned that Richard had a panic attack. Is that common for him?"

Bruce nodded. "Dick has anxiety. He watched his parents die when he was little. I thought for a while that he might have PTSD, but I took him to a child psychologist who said that if he was even diagnosed it'd be considered borderline PTSD. He sees a counselor and he was on antidepressants for a year, but he was able to get off his medication," Batman explained. He was proud of Dick's strength. He'd worked so hard to become Robin.

"So, he's not on medication. Are there any problems he has that could be an issue?" David asked. He was no stranger to trauma. For the kid's sake David hoped he was able to handle this. It would be hard for a kidnapper to understand why a kid was freaking out for no apparent reason. There was also the probability that the abductors would become angry or violent.

"Dick gets night terrors. He usually wakes up screaming," Bruce said, looking at the ceiling. He'd lost count of the nights he had been awoken by his son's cries from across the hall. "Generally, he's pretty disoriented and has trouble speaking English."

"He'll be fine," Iris said, trying to be reassuring. "Wally knows how to handle it."

Just then Kate stepped into the room. David didn't like the look in her eyes. Something had happened.

"Shelton, I need to talk to you," Kate said, tactfully.

David left the room, making sure to close the door so none of the three worried parents could hear what was said. Kate led him over to a computer. The page was opened to YouTube. Streaming live was a video of Wallace and Richard tied to a metal bar. The video was going viral. Soon the news networks would pick up on it. David really hated the media sometimes. They just made this worse. The kidnappers clearly wanted the attention and they would get it, but that couldn't be all this was about. Could it?

"Trace it!" David ordered.

"Tried. The signal is being bounced from Russia to China, England, Mexico and three other countries," Henry answered. "At least we know they're alive."

David nodded. "Yeah, but we could be looking at a live execution."


	4. Chapter 4

Dick's arms were cramping really badly, not to mention his knees were killing him. He tried not to look directly at the camera that was pointed at him and Wally. He felt like it was a window that millions of people were looking through at them. It was bad enough they had been kidnapped and tied up, but to know the world was watching made it a thousand time worse. Doll had said the video was uploading to YouTube, and Dick had seen it himself when Muscles was setting up the camera.

Robin glanced over at Kid Flash. He was pale and shaky. Dick knew it wasn't from fear. Wally hadn't eaten in hours. If he felt as horrible as he did he could only imagine how Wally must feel. Dick turned his gaze to the safe's heavy door. It was closed, but he was sure Doll and Muscles were keeping an eye on them.

"You okay?" Dick asked. He could use some water at the moment.

"Fine," Wally answered. His voice was slurred slightly. That wasn't good. "You?"

"I've been better," Dick said. He glanced over at the camera again, wondering if the mike was hooked up.

Suddenly Dick and Wally heard the sound of the safe's combination being turned. The door was pulled open, and Doll stepped in. She had a bottle of water in one hand and orange juice in the other. Neither one of the heroes moved as their abductor came towards them. She pulled out a knife and cut the zip ties so they each had one hand free. She then gave them the drinks and walking out, she shut the metal door.

"What do you think?" Wally asked, looking at the juice suspiciously. He really needed some sugar, but getting drugged or poisoned was an unpleasant possibility.

"She wants whoever is watching to see we're being taken care of, I guess," Dick answered. The caps were sealed, so nothing had been put in the bottle. Besides Robin got the feeling that if Doll was going to kill them it was going to be bloody.

Passing of space, place or time

Bruce sat in front of a computer, watching the screen intently. Iris and Barry were sitting next to him. Shelton suggested they didn't watch, but how could they not? It was the only way they would know what was going on. The FBI agent had left to speak with one of his team. Another agent, Henry, was working on learning what they could from the room the boys were being held in. People were calling in with tips and hopeful leads. Every one of those tips would be investigated, but so far nothing concrete had been found.

"Hi, Bruce" a voice said, kindly. Bruce turned around to find Paige Monroe standing in the doorway. What was she doing there at a time like this?

"Paige? What are you doing here?" Bruce asked. He tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"I heard what was happening and I saw you on the news. I thought you could use a friendly face," Paige answered in her sickeningly sweet voice.

"That was very thoughtful of you." Batman saw every feature of her face brighten. "But I think it would be best if you went home," Bruce told her. She instantly deflated. Paige was the type of person who made everything about herself, and Bruce didn't have the energy to deal with that right now. Moreover, he shouldn't have to. His son might die, his joy. Dick always tried to put a bright spin on things. He tried to imagine what Robin would say in this situation. Probably something like. 'It could be worse. I could be dead.' Batman saw anger spark in Paige's eyes. What was her issue? He turned back to the computer. Nothing had changed on the screen. He heard the click of Paige's boots as she walked away. Who had let her up there to begin with?

Shelton came into the room and sat down. "Did Ms. Monroe speak with you?" David asked. Henry had checked out Luther. The man was suspected in a number of crimes, but nothing showed he was responsible for this. Plus, there was no clear motive and the man was out of the country at the moment. They didn't have any promising leads and at this point it was kind of a waiting game. The kidnappers had to make a move sooner or later. They did have all the cards after all.

Bruce nodded. "I asked her to leave." Dick and Wally were sitting on the bar. They looked pretty calm, and Robin was chattering away about a math competition he had coming up and what Wally was going to do for his school's science fair just like everything was normal and they weren't in any danger at all. It was driving Bruce crazy that he could see and hear his son, but couldn't get to him. The kidnapper still hadn't made any demands. What did they want? Twenty minutes passed, and then the door was opened. Bruce's heart was in his throat when he saw that the woman in the white mask was walking towards Dick and Wally with a gun in her hand. She was screaming at them.

David was on his feet instantly. This was what he had feared would happen. The four of them crowded around the monitor, panicked and holding their breath. That's when Bruce saw the kidnapper's black boots, the same kind Paige had been wearing less than half an hour ago. How could he have been so blind. He'd even told Agent Shelton about Paige. The kidnapper had the gun pointed at Dick. Bruce heard the click of the safety. He pulled out his phone and dialed Paige's number. At the same time, the kidnapper's phone started ringing. Bruce watched her lower the gun. He couldn't let himself look at Dick. He didn't want to see the fear in Robin's eyes if this masked woman should raise the gun again and shoot. Bruce shuddered. He couldn't handle that. He couldn't lose his child.

"Hello?" Paige said. The kidnapper walked out of the room or at least off camera. He heard the door close with a dull 'clank'. Bruce saw Dick lean against the wall. He was pale and his big blue eyes were shut tight for a few seconds before opening them to stare defiantly at the door. He wasn't going to die in that place. Bruce had seen that look many times before.

"Hey, Paige. It's Bruce. I wanted to apologize for how rude I was before." Batman had to keep his voice level and calm. David, Iris and Barry were looking at him. They wanted an explanation. "I know you came to help and I shouldn't have pushed you away. I could really use the support." He needed to get her down to the station and away from Dick and Wally.

"I'll be down in a few minutes," Paige said. There was a momentary pause. "I really care about you, Bruce."

"I care about you too," Bruce said and hung up. Yeah, he cared about how long she went to prison for this. No one got that attached to someone after two failed dates. She had to have some serious issues.

"Bruce, was that Monroe?" David asked. When he'd looked into the woman's record he'd found she'd been accused of stalking her ex-boyfriend from high school after he had become rich, but the charges were dropped. She had moved away and made a name for herself. Was that what this was about?

"It was. I recognized her boots. She's coming here."

Passing of space, place or time

Dick was trying to figure out what had just happened. Doll had almost shot him and Wally. Who had called her?

"You okay?" KF asked. Well, obviously neither one of them was okay, but their idea of okay changed depending on where they were. In the field, okay was considered to be alive and in mostly one piece. Off the field was where things got more complicated.

"Da," Dick answered. "Tu?" He didn't realize he wasn't speaking in English at first. He must have been more shook up than he'd thought. He was used to being shot at, but he was also used to being able to do something about it.

"I'm fine," Wally said, shortly. He'd be fine later. They had bigger problems than his emotional state. "Did you understand anything she said when she was shouting at us?" He'd been a bit distracted by the gun, so he hadn't heard what she'd said.

"A mic," Dick said. He was staring at the door, half expecting Doll to walk in and kill them.

"Dude, I don't know that one," Wally told him. He hated how helpless he felt. There was nothing he could do to protect Robin or himself.

"A little," Dick repeated. "Something about never being good enough and how it was my fault." Well, that made a whelming amount of sense.

"What did you do to her?" Kid Flash asked. Great! So they were back to major issues. People with mental problems were the hardest to predict and react to.

"Nimic- nothing I know of, but I don't know who she is," Dick said, thinking what had happened. "Did you hear her say 'Gypsy circus trash'?" The safe had a slight echo, add that with the shouting and a mask muffling her voice, and he'd only gotten a word here and there.

"I might have," Wally answered. Replaying the scene in his head was the last thing he wanted to do, but this was kind of important. He didn't see how. Dick got called that at school all the time by the other kids. Why was this time different?

Robin was satisfied. He was sure Paige Monroe was Doll. She was the only adult Dick had met recently who had called him that. He was also sure Bruce had figured that out, which meant they were already half way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. :)
> 
> Blame any language mistakes on the internet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and thank you also for the kudos and the comments. I hope you enjoy the ending! ^_^

David had Henry hack into Paige's cell phone before she even reached the station.

"Just keep her busy and her mind on how you'll all be a happy family once Richard comes home," Shelton instructed. Everything was riding on Wayne giving a convincing performance. He didn't like the idea of putting two kids' lives in the hands of an untrained man, who had a reputation as a slightly foolish charmer, but they didn't have any other options.

Bruce nodded. It would take a lot of restraint not to strangle Paige, but if he did he'd never find his son, or if they did it might be too late to save him and Wally. Paige walked into the room a few minutes later. She was all smiles and kind words. Iris and Barry went to get coffee, leaving Bruce to ensure the boys' survival.

"Thank you so much for coming back," Bruce said. He was still watching the computer out of the corner of his eye, but he had to make sure Paige felt she was getting his attention.

"Of course, Bruce," Paige said and glanced at the computer. "What do you think of the kidnapper?" she asked.

What kind of question was that? Bruce couldn't let his anger show. His actions would affect what happened to Robin and Kid Flash. Paige's brother, Russell Monroe was most likely around wherever it was the boys were. He was just a call away. Paige could simply order him to murder them at any time.

"I'm not happy that whoever took them did this, but I'm glad this person hasn't hurt Dick or Wally," Bruce said. He hadn't answered her question. "I'm sure this person had their reasons for kidnapping them. It must be very important to them. I'd say they are brave for trying." He was thinking 'evil', but that wasn't what Paige wanted to hear.

"Do you think they'll give the boys back?" she asked. There was something in her voice that told Bruce if she answered wrong if would be disastrous.

"I think so. Dick is a very important part of my life, Paige. If anything happens to him, I don't know what I'll do," Bruce answered carefully.

"I'll be here for you," Paige said. She glanced at her phone.

Red flag! Dick had to be necessary. Otherwise Batman would lose Robin and Flash would lose Kid Flash.

"Thank you," Bruce said, thinking fast. "When he comes home, he, you and I can go to Sweden for a little vacation. I'd love for you to see the ski lodge my parents built."

Paige smiled. "I'd like that." Her plan was working. She knew it would. Now she just needed to get Russell to drop the kids off somewhere. In a year or less she would be Mrs. Paige Wayne. That had a nice sound to it. She could see the large diamond on her finger now. The camera would flash and reporters would shout questions at her just as they did when she had been acting. She'd call Russell as soon as she was able to slip away.

Passing of space, place or time

Dick figured it was about one in the morning. He was tired, but he didn't dare fall asleep. He and Wally had been taking turns resting and keeping watch. They didn't want their abductors to surprise them. He dumped some of the water into his cupped hands and then splashed it on his face to wake himself up. This was not how he'd planned to spend his weekend at all.

The door was opened. Dick nudged Wally, who woke up. Muscles walked into the safe and turned off the camera. Robin could only imagine the panic that this must have sent Bruce, Iris and Barry into. Muscles cut the zip ties so they were free of the metal bar. Their hands were tied together, and they were blindfolded again. It didn't matter if he could see or not. Dick was almost positive of where they were. Paige's first casino to open was in this part of the city. It was called 'Faces' and at its grand opening everyone who went was given a mask like the ones Doll and Muscles were wearing. This was clearly a very well thought out plan, Dick thought sarcastically. It would be easy for the FBI to trace the masks back to them. Honestly criminals were so stupid sometimes, which Robin wasn't complaining about.

Muscles guided the two of them back the way they had come so many hours before. Dick could still smell smoke and alcohol, only now he could hear music and people laughing and talking. He thought about calling for help, but there was little to no chance of anyone hearing him over the all the noise. It would definitely make Muscles mad, however. They were outside again. The air was cooler now, and it smelled like it was going to rain. In Gotham, it didn't just rain, it poured. There was no such thing as halfway with that city. If someone was insane they were the worst kind of insane there was. If someone was involved with criminals they were into it up to their eyeballs and if someone decided to fight that crime they did it with everything they had.

Muscles pushed them into a different vehicle than the last getaway car. Dick could tell this was either a new car or a rental by the smell. He was able to push the blindfold up slightly and see this one was your typical white kidnapper's van. Very original. Dick guessed Paige had gotten what she wanted so it was time to let them go, or it was time to kill them.

Muscles drove out of the city. Dick could tell by the lack of traffic. They had to be about an hour out when the man stopped the van. Their kidnapper got out. He then opened the back door and pulled them out one at a time. Muscles cut the zip ties and took off the blindfolds. He got back into his most likely stolen van and speed away. Suddenly lightning lit up the dark sky, and a moment later the thunder cracked so loudly, the two of them covered their ears. The rain started coming down in torrents.

"Well, this is great," Wally huffed irritably. "Next time we hang out, we're going to Central and don't you dare say it could be worse."

"It could," Dick smiled. They were free and going home. They were in a large open field; not the most desirable place to be in a thunderstorm. "Let's get going. It's going to be a long walk."

"Not to mention cold," Wally pointed out. Dick started trudging in the opposite direction of Gotham. "Unn…Dude, I think you're going the wrong way. The city is that way." They were both already soaking wet, and Wally's teeth were starting to chatter from the cold.

"I know, but there's a car junkyard about half a mile this way. There might be a phone there, or we could get a car started. Why walk when you can ride?" Dick said. They stayed low as they moved across the wide-open field, not wanting to get high by lightning. They were, after all, the tallest things in the area. It would be a bit anticlimactic if they were killed in storm after everything that had happened in the last twelve hours.

It felt like a lifetime before they reached the junkyard. Dick and Wally found a small office building. No one was there obviously. It would be another four or five hours before anyone showed up. All the windows were locked as was the door and neither of them had anything to pick the locks with.

"How are we going to get in?" Wally asked. The rain hadn't let up at all and now the wind was driving it down at an angle. They were able to get some protection from the storm by crouching against the side of the building.

Dick looked around for a moment before picking up a large rock. Without hesitating he pitched it through a window.

"Dude!" Wally choked. He'd broken a neighbor's window once by throwing rocks. His dad had put an end to that quickly. Even after all these years, Wally cringed at the sound of breaking glass.

"Would you relax. Bruce will pay them back. Besides who's going to get mad at two kids who were kidnapped and trying to get help. Given the circumstances, I'm sure they'll understand," Robin said. He reached through the hole and unlocked the window from the inside. He then pushed it open. "You first."

Wally climbed inside to find a dirty, greasy mess of a room. Dick climbed in right behind him. They turned on the lights, but they flickered and threatened to go out at any second. They found a flashlight and an old land line phone in a back room. Considering their current luck, the phone of course didn't work.

"The storm most have knocked down the lines," Kid Flash muttered.

"Plan B it is," Dick said. They found some work jackets to protect themselves from the storm before they ventured out. Some of the cars were clearly not going anywhere, but after a while Kid Flash came across one that might get them to Gotham if they could get it started. Robin's fingers were stiff from the cold, but he was able to hot wire it following a few failed attempts.

"I'm driving," Wally announced, opening the driver's side door.

"No way," Dick answered. "I may do so stupid things sometimes, but there's not a chance on earth I'd ever let you drive."

"I'm older," Wally shot back.

"You also have the attention span of a squirrel, and I'm not putting my life in the hands of a squirrel. Plus, I've been driving since I was nine," Dick said, refusing to move.

"Fine," Wally huffed. He walked around the car and flopped into the passenger seat.

"We should be there soon," Robin said as he pulled onto the dirt road. Soon it turned into asphalt. One of the headlights was out and the other was caked with dirt, making it almost impossible to see.

"And where is there?" Wally asked. Wherever there was a working phone was fine with him.

"There's an all-night gas station about a mile into the city limits. That's the closest place I can think of," Robin answered. "You realize Bruce, Iris and Barry are going to turn into helicopter parents after this, right?"

"Can you blame them?" Wally said. He was looking forward to getting some food and going to sleep without having to worry about being killed.

"No," Dick said. He didn't take his eyes off what little he could see of the road. He was having a little trouble reaching the pedals.

They talked a little as they got closer to the city. At one point Wally tried turning on the radio, but it made a horrible noise before dying. Once they got to the gas station Dick parked the car and they both walked inside. The last time Robin was there it was to stop an armed robbery a few months ago.

"Can we use your phone?" Wally asked as they stepped up to the checkout counter.

The bleary-eyed cashier looked at them for a moment before jumping in surprise. The man looked at the TV on the wall behind him, which was showing a news report of the kidnapping. Dick's and Wally's pictures were side by side on the screen.

"Are you them?" the man asked.

"Yes, now could we please use your phone," Dick said. He wanted to see Bruce, go home, eat and sleep for about ten hours.

"Yeah, sure," the man said, pulling a cell phone out of his back pocket and handing it to Wally, who called 9-1-1. "Are you like hurt or anything? I have a first aid kit in the back."

"We're good, but thanks," Dick answered. Most people in Gotham were good normal people who just wanted to live their lives without being terrorized. It was just the bad ones that gave the city its bad reputation.

It took maybe four minutes before the whole parking lot was full of flashing blue and red lights. The boys were completely surrounded by the police and EMTs. Bruce, Barry and Iris pushed their way in as well. Dick was in his dad's arms, even as the EMTs were trying to clean and bandage the cuts left by the ties.

"It was Paige Monroe," Robin told him. Despite everything that had happened his first thought was making sure Paige didn't get away and do this to someone else. For the first time in hours he was able to breathe. He and Wally were safe.

"I know, Dickie. We got her," Bruce answered. He never wanted to let his son go. He'd come so close to losing his child. He took Dick out to the waiting ambulance. The media was starting to gather, and Bruce had no patience to deal with them or anyone else other than Dick.

A few hours later Robin and Kid Flash were safe at Wayne Manor with their families. Paige and her brother were in jail, awaiting trial, where they were both found guilty.

The End


End file.
